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Sazae-san
Tokyopop | demographic = | magazine = Fukunichi Shimbun Asahi Shimbun, etc. | magazine_en = | magazine_other = | published = | first = April 22, 1946 | last = February 21, 1974 | volumes = 45 (approx. 10,000 comic strips) | volume_list = }} is a Japanese comic strip created by Machiko Hasegawa. ''Sazae-san was first published in Hasegawa's local paper, the , on April 22, 1946. When the wished to have Hasegawa draw the comic strip for their paper, she moved to Tokyo in 1949 with the explanation that the main characters had moved from Kyūshū to Tokyo as well. The comic dealt with contemporary situations in Tokyo until Hasegawa retired and ended the comic on February 21, 1974. As one of Japan's longest running and oldest comic strips and animations, the series is known to nearly every Japanese person, young and old. Plots The comic was very topical. In the beginning, Sazae was more interested in being herself than dressing up in kimono and makeup to attract her future husband. Hasegawa was forward-thinking in that, in her words, the Isono/Fuguta clan would embody the image of the modern Japanese family after World War II. Sazae was a very "liberated" woman, and many of the early plotlines revolved around Sazae bossing around her husband, to the consternation of her neighbors, who believed that a man should be the head of his household. Later, Sazae became a feminist and was involved in many comical situations regarding her affiliation with her local women's lib group. Despite the topical nature of the comic, the core of the stories revolved around the large family dynamic, and were presented in a lighthearted, easy fashion. In fact, the final comic, in 1974, revolved around Sazae's happiness that an egg she cracked for her husband's breakfast produced a double yolk, with Katsuo remarking about the happiness the "little things" in life can bring. Today, the popular Sazae-san anime is frequently taken as nostalgia for traditional Japanese society (since it lacks modern marvels such as video games and otaku culture), even though it was leftist to the point of controversy when it originally ran in Japanese newspapers. Characters Isono and Fuguta family * (née ) :The main character. Age 24 (27 in the manga), born on November 22 in Fukuoka. In the beginning Sazae's mother was worried that Sazae was too unladylike to ever attract a husband, but she married Masuo. :Seiyū: Midori Katō * :Sazae's salaryman husband. 28 years old (32 in the manga). Born on April 3 in Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka. After marrying Sazae, he moved in with her family. :Seiyū: Shinsuke Chikaishi (1969-1978), Hiroshi Masuoka (1978-) * :Sazae and Masuo's 3-year old son. Usually called . Born on March 18. :Seiyū: Takako Sasuga * :Sazae's father and patriarch of the family. Age 54. Born on September 14. (Originally his birth year was given as 1895). Around the time of the Bon Festival, his doppelganger Meiji Revolution samurai ancestor Isono Mokuzu Minamoto no Sutamina haunts his dreams. :Seiyū: Ichirō Nagai * (née ) :Sazae's mother. Age 50 (48 in the manga); born on January 11 in Shizuoka. :Seiyū: Miyoko Asō * :Sazae's mischievous little brother. Age 11. He was often suffered under the wrath of his older sister Sazae, when he refused to do his homework or accidentally insults other guests in the manner of faux-pas. Same thing occurs for Namihei, his father when he usually finds out about Katsuo's low grade on his tests and lectures through scolding. His main activity consist of playing baseball with his friends. :Seiyū: Nobuyo Ōyama (1969-1979), Kazue Takahashi (1980-1998), Mina Tominaga (1998-) * :Sazae's little sister. Age 9. She is kind. :Seiyū: Yoshiko Yamamoto (1969-1976), Michiko Nomura (1976-2005), Makoto Tsumura (2005-) * :The Isono family's pet cat. He hates mice. :Seiyū: ? (The meaning of this "?" credit has been a topic of debate amongst viewers for years.) Isono and Fuguta family's kinship * :Namihei's nephew. He works for a publisher. :Seiyū: Ichirō Murakoshi (1969-1998), Tarō Arakawa (1998-2000), Yasunori Matsumoto (2000-) * :Norisuke's wife. :Seiyū: Ryoko Aikawa , Masako Ebisu (1969-1979), Emiko Tukada (1979-) * :Norisuke and Taiko's son. :Seiyū: Reiko Katsura * :Namihei's ancestor. :Seiyū: Ichirō Nagai * :Namihei's twin older brother. :Seiyū: Ichirō Nagai * :Seiyū: Fujiko Takimoto * :Seiyū: Norio Wakamoto Isasaka family * :A novelist who lives in the next house of Isono family's house. :Seiyū: Sanji Hase , Eken Mine, Yasuo Iwata * :Nanbutsu's wife. Fune's childhood friend. :Seiyū: Reiko Yamada * :Nanbutsu's daughter. :Seiyū: Keiko Han , Miina Tominaga, Eriko Kawasaki * :Nanbutsu's son. :Seiyū: Hiroshi Takemura * :Isasaka family's pet dog. Hama family * :Seiyū: Eken Mine * :Seiyū: Keiko Han * Other characters * :An old man who lives in a house in back of (ura-no) Isono family's house. * :Ura-no Grandpa's wife. * :Seiyū:Issei Futamata :The employee of Mikawaya who makes house calls for food orders. * :Seiyū: Reiko Katsura :One of Tarao's friends. * :Seiyū:Sumiko Shirakawa :Katsuo's best friend and his classmate. * :Seiyū: Keiko Han , Miina Tominaga, Eriko Kawasaki :One of Katsuo's classmates. * :One of Katsuo's classmates. * :Seiyū: Tarako, Keiko Yamamoto :One of Katsuo's classmates, who has a crush on him. * :One of Katsuo's classmates. * :One of Katsuo's classmates. * :Katsuo's teacher. * :One of Wakame's classmates. * :One of Wakame's classmates. * :Seiyū:Kazuya Tatekabe(-197?), Norio Wakamoto(197?-) :One of Masuo's co-workers. * * :Seiyū:Norio Wakamoto * :Seiyū:Norio Wakamoto * * :Seiyū:Norio Wakamoto :The shopkeeper of Mikawaya, a sake shop. * * :Seiyū:Norio Wakamoto :Hanako's father. * * * * * * * * The names of the characters are derived from marine animals and things relating to the sea: * the Japanese family names Isono, Fuguta, and Namino: iso means beach, fugu means blowfish, and nami means wave * Masuo: masu means trout * Fune: ship * Sazae: horned turban shell - a kind of sea snail * Tara: codfish * Namihei: nami means wave * Katsuo: skipjack tuna, a type of fish * Wakame: means seaweed, a green plant that lives underwater. * Norisuke: nori, dried seaweed used to wrap sushi * Taiko: tai is sea bream * Ikura: salmon roe The inspiration for the characters is said to have come to Hasegawa as she was strolling along the beach one day. Although the comic ran for twenty-eight years, the characters never aged: Sazae was always 27 years old, her husband 28, her father and mother were always 54 and 48, and Sazae's siblings were around eleven and seven years of age, respectively. Publishing The comic strip was published in book form by , which Machiko ran with her sister, Mariko. In April 1993, this publishing company went out of business and the comic books went out of print. The same year, Asahi Shimbun purchased the right to publish the forty-five paperback volumes. Selected comics have been published in the United States by Kodansha America, Inc. Sazae in the Japanese media In 1955, a radio station aired a serial drama based on the comic strip. The same year, a short-lived live-action television series was started, and was aired on what is now TBS. In November 1965, TBS started a dramatic television series modeled after the comic strip. It aired until September 1967. In 1979, NHK made a dramatic serial which ran for six months, focusing on the creation of Sazae-san and Machiko Hasegawa in her younger days. Sazae-san animated series In October 1969, Fuji Television started an animated comedy series, which is still on the air today and currently in production (making it the longest-running animated TV series in history). It has been broadcast every Sunday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. and contains three vignettes. The animated series has some characters, like Katsuo's classmates, who don't appear in Hasegawa's original works. The end credits for each episode include brief animations of some of the original comic strips, with the dialogue appearing in word balloons. Since November 1991, each show has ended with a janken match between Sazae and viewers at home.Sazae's Past Jankens From 1969 to 1991, Sazae would toss a bean in the air and catch it in her mouth at the end of each show. This was often imitated by viewers. In 1990, a child choked to death after imitating the trick, and Fuji Television switched to the janken match. The animated series was originally sponsored solely by Toshiba -- including placement of its products within the show—but later expanded to other sponsors. Sazae-san was the last television anime to use traditional cel animation, although as of April 2009, the opening credits were digital.Sazae-san is Last TV Anime Using Cels, Not Computers - Anime News Network * Opening Song: "Sazae-san" by Yuko Uno * Ending Song: "Sazae-san Ikka" by Yuko Uno See also *Miki Hayasaka's Maiko! manga series has been called a "hard bishōjo Sazae-san". References Category:Manga of 1946 Category:Comedy anime and manga Category:Comic strips started in the 1940s Category:Television programs based on comic strips Category:Anime of 1969 Category:Yonkoma Category:Tokyo in fiction ar:سازايه-سان de:Sazae-san es:Sazae-san fr:Sazae-san ko:사자에상 it:Sazae-san ja:サザエさん pl:Sazae-san ru:Sazae-san